Road Trip
by Dixie Darlin
Summary: Bob and Ashley, along with their friends, are going on a road trip, complete with some crazy misadventures! COMPLETE
1. Six is Company

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
A/N: This is probably the last King Bob/Ashley story I'll ever write b/c I'm fresh out of ideas. After this, I'm moving on to my second favorite couple Spinelli/Francis (aka Hustler Kid).  
  
Chapter One: Six is Company  
  
Bob was busy strapping his luggage to the top of the rent van. His mom and stepdad had finally decided that he could go on a road trip to the Talladega Racetrack. Since he was eighteen now, he could go by himself and invite some friends along as well. Of course, he asked Ashley to come, who was already at his house with her luggage as well.  
"I can't wait to get going!" she said excitedly. She loved Nascar races as much as her sporty boyfriend.  
"Yeah, Dale Jr. is goin' to burn the asphalt," Bob replied.  
Just then, a limo pulled up and who else but Ashley Q. and Ashley B. to come out with THEIR luggage. Confused, Bob jumped down off the top of the van to see what the deal was.  
"Hey, what're you two doing here?" he asked them.  
"Like, duh!" Ashley Q. told him. "Your girlfriend invited us to come along with you."  
"WHAT?!" Bob exclaimed, glancing over at his girlfriend of almost a year.  
"Well, Mom said I couldn't go unless I had some more girls come along," Ashley explained a little sheepishly.  
"Whatever," Bob sighed. He personally didn't mind them, it was just that--  
"Yo, where's the bags go?" they heard someone say. Everyone turned and saw Vince and Lawson inside the latter's blue Monte Carlo, and they looked like they had quite a load of suitcases.  
"And why are THEY here?" Ashley A. asked Bob.  
"I...uh...sorta invited them."  
"Uh-huh," she replied sarcastically.  
By this time, the boys had already gotten out of the car and were unloading their stuff from the backseat. Ashley Q. looked very upset.  
"Ashley A., we need to talk," she said, grabbing hold of her friend's arm and pulling her aside.  
"There is NO way I'm going anywhere with HIM," she said, giving a glare in Lawson's direction. Ashley A. rolled her eyes. She didn't understand why her friend couldn't just get along with him.  
"I'm sorry, but it's only fair that if you come, they come," Ashley A. said.  
"But...ugh! I hate it when I don't get my way!"  
"Yes, I know...," the blonde said sarcastically.  
Meanwhile, Lawson had done pulled Bob over to the side for a little "chat". He probably disliked Ashley Q. more than she disliked him.  
"Man, are you whack!" the red-haired boy exclaimed. "I'm not goin' nowhere with that girl!"  
"Come on, buddy. She can't be that bad. Besides, she'll be busy gossiping with Ashley B. or something."  
"Yeah right," Lawson scoffed. "Ashley B. will be to busy flirting with Vince."  
As they spoke, Vince was desperately trying to avoid Ashley B.'s affections as much as possible. He just didn't understand why she wouldn't leave him alone! Bob rolled his eyes in hopelessness.  
"This is ridiculous," he said. "Why can't everyone PLEASE get along?"  
"You expect US to get along?"  
"You can at least try. I mean, before you know it we'll be at the track watching the race."  
"Yeah, watching Jeff Gordon beat Dale Jr.'s butt," Lawson said proudly. He and Bob may have been best friends, but that didn't mean they had to like the same driver.  
"Whatever," Bob joked. "Hey, isn't that your mom?"  
"Huh?"  
While all this was taking place, Mrs. Lawson had driven up and was trying to get her son to come over to her car.  
"Erwin, sweetie! Come here for a minute!" she called.  
Lawson heard some snickering behind him, and turned to see Ashley Q. trying hard not to bust out laughing. He was so embarrassed.  
"Erwin?" the silly girl repeated. "Your name's Erwin?" She couldn't contain herself; she busted out in laughter.  
If Lawson wasn't already in a bad mood, he was sure in one now. He HATED it when people made fun of his first name. Grouchily, he asked his mom what she wanted.  
"Sweetheart, you left one of your bags on your bed. Just thought you might want it."  
"Thanks," he said through clenched teeth as his mom gave him his duffel bag. Ashley Q. was still laughing in the background. Ashley A. was trying to get her to shut up, and finally Vince walked over there...with Ashley B. right behind him of course.  
"Girl, give the guy a break," he told her. "He can't help what he was named."  
"Yeah, why do you think he goes by his LAST name?" Bob asked from the top of the van.  
"If I had a name like that, I WOULD go by my last name!" Ashley Q. giggled.  
"Okay, then I'll start calling you Quinlen, then," Lawson remarked, joining Bob on the van.  
Bob sighed. This was going to be a LONG trip...  
  
* * * * * * * * * 


	2. On The Open Road

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Two: On The Open Road  
  
Bob was concentrating on the highway in front of him. Ashley was sitting in the front passenger seat, Vince and Lawson were bunked on the front "row", and the two other Ashley's shared the very back. The passing scenery consisted of desert, desert, and more desert. Cactuses were everywhere. Bob was starting to see mirages of camels and pyramids. Heh...that reminded him of when he tried building a pyramid out of mud in sixth grade. Called himself "Pharoah Bob"...  
His thoughts were interrupted by some arguing coming from behind him. Darn, and everything had been going so smoothly. He glanced in the rear- view mirror to see what the fuss was all about. Oh...looked like Ashley Q. got bored and decided to steal Lawson's beloved blue cap, and now he was trying to grab it back.  
"Gimme my hat!" Lawson demanded, trying to snatch it out of Ashley Q.'s hands.  
"Get it yourself, Erwin," she replied, emphasizing the last word in a taunting way.  
Bob rolled his eyes. 'I swear,' he thought. 'Sometimes I wonder if she's flirting with him!' Ashley saw her boyfriend was getting exasperated with all the noise, so she turned around to shut them up.  
"Guys!" she said. "Quiet please!"  
"She started it," Lawson growled, pointing at his "enemy", who stuck her tongue out at him.  
Ashley A. glared at her friend. "Give him his hat back, NOW. And stop bothering each other."  
Ashley Q. had a irritated look of defeat when she threw the boy his hat back. "Fine. I didn't want it anyway."  
Vince was trying to get some sleep, but of course that was impossible with Ashley B. hanging all over him. He got agitated, and finally turned around and yelled,  
"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP IT?!!"  
"Stop what?" she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes for added effect.  
"Bothering me!"  
Lawson was getting fed up with everything and leaned forward to talk to Bob.  
"Bob, please," he begged. "Can we stop somewhere and get some fresh air or something? They're driving me crazy!"  
Bob was starting to get annoyed with the guests. Ashley was feeling a bit sorry for Lawson, with Ashley Q. being such a bully in the back seat. She leaned over to Bob.  
"Bobby, let's just stop somewhere for a few minutes," she suggested. "If they run around for a while, they'll get rid of some excess energy or whatever."  
"You make 'em sound like little kids," Bob chuckled. "Okay, I just saw a sign for a rest stop not far from here."  
About ten minutes and a million arguments later, they finally reached a lonely gas station. Bob thought it looked deserted, but it would have to do. As soon as they pulled in beside the gas pump, Lawson and Ashley Q. started racing each other to the door. Of course, they both couldn't fit through it at the same time...  
"Me first!" Ashley Q. demanded, trying to push herself through the door.  
"Why should you be first?" Lawson asked, trying to push HIMself through the door.  
"Because I'M a lady, that's why!"  
"You? A lady? Ri-ight..."  
"Come on, guys!" Bob called while pumping gas. "SOMEBODY has to go first!"  
Lawson gave his opponent a mischievious grin. "Okay, you first." With that, he pushed her through the door way, and she nearly killed herself slipping across the recently mopped floor.  
"UGH!!" she yelled in frustration, marching towards the ladies room.  
Bob let out a sigh. Those two were driving him crazy! In order to keep Vince and Ashley B. from arguing as well, Ashley A. grabbed her friend and started towards the ladies room as well. Meanwhile the guys were piling up on junk food while Bob came in and paid for the gas...and the food.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Eighty-five bottles of beer on the wall, eighty-five bottles of beer!" the "backseat gang" sang when they were all back on the road. "Take one down, pass it around! Eighty-four bottles of beer on the wall!"  
"At least they're not arguing anymore," Bob said to Ashley, keeping his eye on the road  
"Tell me about it."  
"I'm getting tired of this song!" Ashley Q. griped.  
"Here we go..." Bob muttered, just knowing what was going to happen next.  
"Tired of it?" Lawson asked. "We just started! We're not even to eighty bottles of beer yet!"  
"So, I'm tired of singing it."  
"Then don't sing it, princess."  
"Who're you callin' princess?"  
"So much for a fun-filled trip," Vince moaned, taking a sip of his Dr. Pepper.  
"Vincey," Ashley B. said. "Can I have a drink of your soda? I'm thirsty."  
"Then you should have bought your own," Vince remarked, taking another drink.  
"You're mean!" Ashley Q. snapped. "She asked you nicely."  
"Who you callin' mean?" Lawson asked her. "You're twenty times worse than he is!"  
Once again, they all started arguing again. Ashley was getting as tired of it as Bob was. Why couldn't everyone just get along for once? The arguing got so intense, that Bob was paying more attention to them than to the road. Suddenly, the van started bouncing, and everyone shut up.  
"What's going on?" Ashley asked Bob, who was trying to keep the van from going in a ditch.  
"I don't know," he answered, while pulling over to the side.  
Everyone stayed still as Bob got out to see what the deal was. Uh- oh...the tire on the driver's side in the back had blown. Destroyed rubber was everywhere, and the hubcap was dangling. The gang rolled their windows down and peeped out to see what had happened.  
"Oh, great!" Ashley Q. complained. "Now what?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * 


	3. If I Only Had A Spare

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Three: If I Only Had A Spare...  
  
Everyone scurried out of the van to get a first-hand view at the damage. The three girls started fanning themselves, trying to get some comfort in the summer heat. Bob felt like he was going to have a heart- attack. He looked to his two friends for help.  
"Vince?" he asked. "Do you know how to change tires?"  
"Man, you know I always fell asleep in that class," Vince reminded. "Why can't you change it?"  
"I slept in that class too!" Bob yelled.  
"You two babies don't know how to change tires?" Lawson laughed. "I loved mechanics class! Move aside, and show me that spare."  
"O-kay," Bob replied, searching the outside of the van for the spare tire. "Uh...I don't see one."  
"No spare?" Lawson asked. "Sorry, man, can't help ya."  
"This isn't happening," Bob moaned, placing his head against the van in disbelief.  
"Ashley A., can we please go in the van?" Ashley Q. asked. "It's so ever hot, and I left my soda inside."  
"Is your own comfort all you can think about?" Ashley B. remarked. "Can I have a sip of your drink?"  
Ashley A. sighed in slight aggravation. "Come on," she said, taking them back inside the van.  
"Man, what are we going to do?" Bob asked.  
"Don't look at me," Vince shrugged.  
"Well, duh! All we have to do is flag someone down," Lawson answered, rolling his eyes as if the answer was obvious.  
"Hey, genius," Vince replied. "We're in the middle of nowhere! We have a better chance of walking back to that gas station!"  
"Oh, sure. It's only an hour away!" Lawson remarked sarcastically.  
"No, wait a minute," Bob cut in. "Flagging someone down isn't a bad idea."  
"It isn't?" Lawson asked, not believing that he came up with a great idea for once.  
"Well, what I meant was that it was a SAFER idea," Bob explained. "There's no way we're walking back to that dump in this heat."  
"Which reminds me," Vince stated. "I'm thirsty. I grabbing my drink."  
Vince went back inside the van and saw the girls sitting directly in front of a full-blasting air conditioner. He rolled his eyes, and grabbed his soda. Man, it felt good in there. He decided to stay in for a while.  
  
"Turn the radio on," he said. "It's dull up in here."  
"Turn it on yourself," Ashley Q. barked, not budging from her spot on the seat.  
Ashley B. glared at her, then turned the radio on for him. Some ancient jazz spilled out from the speakers. Definitely not worth listening to. Ashley B. started searching the stations and it finally landed on some Eminem.  
"Aww, man!" Vince groaned. "You guys listen to that junk?"  
"No," Ashley A. answered. "But it's the only thing playing that seems to be coming in clear."  
"I'd rather listen to static," he muttered, crawling out of the van. He'd rather face the heat than hear that mess.  
"So, have we decided on what to do?" he asked upon reaching his two friends.  
"We're just relaxing until some dope drives up," Lawson answered, pulling his hat down to shade his eyes better.  
Bob couldn't believe this nightmare was happening. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with no spare tire, no water, and no clue on what to do about it. When he had graduated last month and then finally turned eighteen a few weeks ago, he was absolutely thrilled about this trip. Now he just wanted it to be over...  
"What the heck?" Lawson asked, looking down the road.  
The three boys stared as they saw an old pickup truck coming down the road at a slow, steady pace. Bob started waving his arms to get the guy's attention, and fortunately the man pulled over. A short, pot-bellied man with greasy clothes and a smoking cigarette came out.  
"Anything I can do for you kids?" he asked, puffing a huge stream of smoke in their direction. Lawson started coughing after accidentally inhaling some. Vince smirked at him while Bob rolled his eyes.  
"Listen, one of our tires blew, and we really need to be somewhere," Bob explained. His eyes started watering from the cigarette smoke. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare we could maybe BUY would you?"  
"Sure, I've got a spare," the man chuckled. "Come over here and I'll give it to you."  
The guys exchanged glances. Vince really didn't mind strangers that much, Bob was so stressed that he didn't care if the man was an escaped convict, but Lawson hated the idea of asking this guy for anything. Maybe he shouldn't have suggested the idea of flagging someone down...  
"Let's see, I know it's here somewhere..." the man mumbled while digging around on the truck's flatbed. "Ah, here we go! One spare tire."  
"Thanks, mister," Bob told him, taking it from him. "How much ya want for it?"  
"Oh not much--fifty dollars ought to do."  
"Fifty dollars?" Bob squeaked. Dang. He dug out his wallet and relunctantly gave the man fifty.  
"Thanks, son," he replied, getting back in the truck. "Take care now, ya hear?"  
He drove off out of sight, leaving the group of teens to themselves. Bob shoved Lawson the tire.  
"Here," he said. "Toolbox is in the back somewhere."  
  
* * * * * * * * * 


	4. Eating and Sleeping Arrangements

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Four: Eating and Sleeping Arrangements  
  
"Fifty-six monkeys jumping on the bed!" everyone sang once Lawson put the spare tire on. "One fell off and bumped his head! Momma called the doctor, and the doctor said 'no more little monkeys jumping on that bed!'"  
"If they start arguing," Bob whispered to Ashley. "I'm stopping this van, and they can WALK to Talladega!"  
"Give 'em a break," Ashley joked lightly. "They've only been sixteen for a few months."  
"Yeah, well, Lawson's gonna be seventeen next month," Bob added. "And I think they ALL act like two year olds."  
"Man, my throat's dry," Vince said raspily, shaking his empty soda can. "And I'm starving."  
"Does it ever end?" Bob groaned. "Okay, I'm starting to see a town. Maybe they've got a McDonald's or something."  
"McDonald's? Eww..." Ashley Q. said disgustedly.  
"What's the matter?" Lawson asked sarcastically. "Doesn't the princess like Happy Meals?"  
"I'm going to drown you in their ball pit if you don't shut up!" she threatened.  
"Oooh, I'm so terrified."  
"Please, shut up," Vince said dryly. "Bob, you know we all hate that place."  
It was a good thing that Bob had learned to keep his temper LONG ago, because he felt like screaming at all of them. He breathed out slowly.  
"O-kay, how about Sonic?" he asked.  
"They don't have a ball pit," Ashley Q. noted a bit evilly, glaring at her "enemy".  
"Can't you drown him later?" Bob asked, rolling his eyes for the hundredth time today. "We're starving."  
"I'm on a diet," Ashley Q. spat out quickly. "Do they have salads?"  
"You're on a what?" Lawson asked, glancing at her. "You're not fat."  
"It's too late for apologies, Erwin," she snapped.  
"I wasn't apologizing, Queen-lin. I was just saying--"  
"ARE WE GOING TO SONIC OR NOT?!!" Vince yelled in order to shut everyone up.  
"Yes, they have salads," Ashley A. told her dieting friend.  
"Fine."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was starting to get dark and everyone was tired...not to meantion full. Bob found himself nodding off several times, which isn't safe when you're driving. The girls were all asleep, thank goodness, and the guys were trying hard not to.  
"Man, are we going to stop somewhere or something?" Vince asked after yawning for the twentieth time.  
"Yeah, I'm bushed," Lawson added.  
"You're bushed? I did all the driving," Bob said, forcing his eyes to stay open. "Can't we just pull over on the shoulder?"  
"Dude, I have got to get out of this van!" Vince complained. "I think I'm getting cabin fever!"  
"But the girls are already sleeping," Bob reminded him. "What do you want me to do, wake them up and have them drag themselves to a room?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Bob was busy handing the hotel manager some cash as the others laid around in the lobby. The place was packed with guests, and there was only one room left. Bob walked over to everyone with the key.  
"What? One key?" Ashley Q. asked, waking up all the way.  
"There was only one room left," Bob explained.  
"You can always sleep in the van if you don't like it," Lawson told her.  
"Shut up," she sneered.  
They all dragged themselves to the elevator so they could get to the second floor. It was a good thing they didn't bother with luggage, because all six of them were squished once they were inside. Ashley B. started dozing off and leaned on Vince's shoulder for support, who disgustedly pushed her over to Ashley A.'s shoulder. Finally, the "torment" was over, and they all went inside room 214 after Bob unlocked it.  
Ashley B. collapsed on the bed once inside. They were all a little shocked at what they saw.  
"Only one bed?" Ashley Q. asked, glaring at Bob.  
"How was I supposed to know it was a one-bed deal?" Bob snapped at her, exasperated from the day's events.  
"We girls can share the bed," Ashley A. proposed. "I don't know where you guys are supposed to sleep though."  
"I get the bathtub!" Lawson said immediately, making a dash for the bathroom.  
"No way!" Vince argued, running after him. "I get the bathtub!"  
Bob was so tired, he didn't care if they killed each other for it. He grabbed an extra pillow from the closet and bunked on the table. It was a small table, and he wasn't too comfortable, but it would have to do. In the meantime, the three girls crawled into bed. Lawson had won the fight for the bathtub, so Vince was left with the option of taking the television of the dresser and sleeping on it. For the first time through the trip, everything was quiet and peaceful...  
  
* * * * * * * * * 


	5. Cold Showers

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Five: Cold Showers  
  
It was about five o'clock in the morning when Bob woke up. Man, he was tired. And the table thing just wasn't working out. He cracked his eyes open and bent his head to look at the floor. Yuck...the carpet looked about thirty years old. No way was he sleeping on it. He suddenly got the urge to drink something so he decided to leave the room for a while and head to the snack machine he saw outside and get a soda.  
While he was out, Ashley Q. woke up and decided she wanted to take a shower. A girl has to bathe, you know, especially after travelling all day. Completely forgetting that someone was taking a snooze in the tub, she locked the door and turned the shower on.  
"HOLY CRAP!!"  
Ashley Q. screamed her head off when she heard that. Half-soaked, Lawson managed to drag himself out of the tub without slipping and killing himself. Ashley Q. got over it, and glared at him.  
"What are you doing in the tub?!" she yelled.  
"Where else was I going to sleep?!" he yelled back, wiping the ice- cold water from his face. "With you?"  
"Why you little--I am SO leaving!"  
With that, she turned to open the door, only the door knob fell out in her hand. She stared at it, horrified at this predicament she had gotten herself in.  
"Uh-oh," she said.  
"You broke it?!" Lawson shouted. "We're stuck in here?!"  
"What is going on in there?" they heard Ashley A. ask from the other side.  
"Don't ask, just get me out of here!!" Ashley Q. pleaded.  
"Miss Priss broke the door handle," Lawson explained, glaring daggers at her.  
"Okay, let me see what I can do."  
Ashley A. looked at Ashley B. and Vince for help. Where the heck was Bob? Almost immediately, they heard some banging on the room's door.  
"Hey, it's Bob! Open up!" they heard. He must have locked himself out by accident.  
"What on earth is going on in here?" he asked after his girlfriend let him in. "I thought I heard screaming."  
"That was Ashley Q." Ashley A. explained. "Somehow she managed to get herself and Lawson trapped in the bathroom."  
Bob sighed. "Guess we'd better get them out before they kill each other, huh?"  
"This is all your fault!" they Ashley Q. accuse.  
"MY fault?" Lawson asked in his own defense. "How is this MY fault? It's not MY fault that you wanted to take a shower at FIVE A.M.!!"  
"Guys, shut up!" Bob demanded. "Okay, I'm guessing the door knobs don't work."  
"It fell out on their side," Vince explained.  
"All righty then, I guess we're going to have to break the door down or something," Bob decided.  
"Why can't we just unscrew the hinges?" Ashley B. asked.  
"Or we could unscrew the hinges," Bob repeated. "Someone grab the toolbox from the van."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After that embarrassing predicament, Ashley Q. and Lawson hardly said a word to each other once they were all back on the road. Bob was actually relieved that he'd be driving in peace, but truthfully he did miss hearing conversation. They finally got out of desert country, and eventually headed into a foresty, mountainous area.  
"How much longer?" Ashley B. moaned from the back seat.  
"About three more hours of driving ought to do it," Bob told her. Thank goodness. If he had to stay in that van one more minute above three hours, he was going to go insane.  
"Hey, Bob," Vince called. "Mind handed me that my Walkman from the dash?"  
Bob grabbed the CD player and turned briefly to hand it to him. During that short moment of turning his eyes off the road, a momma deer and its baby stumbled into the middle of the road. Ashley A. looked up from her magazine and gasped.  
"BOB, WATCH IT!" she screamed.  
Startled, Bob quickly slammed on the brakes and swerved sharply to miss the two deer. Unfortuneately, he swerved TOO sharply. The van flew in mid-air over the side of the road and landed dangerously at the bottom of the hill.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
dun dun dunnnnnn 


	6. Going For Help

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Six: Going For Help  
  
Bob slowly opened his eyes after the van stopped rolling and bouncing down the hill. He thought he had heard some glass break. He quickly glanced beside him to see if Ashley was okay, then turned around to check on his friends.  
"What happened?" Ashley B. asked, rubbing her head where she had banged it.  
"We flew off the road," Bob explained. "Hey, where's Vince?"  
Everyone panicked when they saw that Vince wasn't in the van anymore. Ashley B. looked up at the front window and screamed. Everyone looked where she was staring and gasped. There lay Vince in front of the van, facedown in the dirt. Everyone scrambled out of the vehicle, and Bob and Lawson rushed to Vince's side.  
"Is-is he alive?" Lawson asked, trying hard not to bust out in tears.  
Bob turned Vince over and placed his ear on his chest to listen for a heartbeat. Good, it was beating. He was still alive.  
"Yeah, he's okay," Bob answered. "He's just unconscious."  
Bob noticed that Vince's leg had been gashed open when he had flown out the window, and that his head was bleeding pretty bad too. He turned to the girls.  
"Go find a first aid kit, and hurry!" he told them. While they did that, Bob picked Vince up and moved him over to a grassy area. Finally, the first aid kit arrived.  
"Thanks," Bob said when Ashley A. handed it to him. Then he realized something...he knew nothing about nursing.  
Ashley B. stepped forward. "I take nursing class...maybe I should bandage him up."  
"Be my guest," Bob told her, standing up to let her take over.  
While she was doing that, Bob pulled Ashley over to the side to talk.  
"We need to figure out how to get out of here," he explained. "And I don't think it's goin' to be easy."  
  
They looked up at the huge hill they had fallen down. Nope, it was certainly not going to be easy, especially with a wounded person who was still unconscious. It would take all night and the next morning to climb up that thing with Vince having to be carried. Bob suddenly got an idea.  
"I've got it. I'll go by myself, get help and then come back and get the rest of you."  
"What!" Ashley exclaimed, horrified at Bob going out alone. "Are you crazy? Who's going to watch after everyone?"  
"I was thinking you could."  
"As if! Why can't Lawson do it? He's older."  
"Yeah, but he acts younger."  
"He's your best friend! And besides, do you actually think he's going to listen to ME? Give him a break, he has to deal with Ashley Q. already. And I bet he'd be thrilled to know that for once HE'S in charge."  
Ashley always had a knack for winning Bob over to her side. He finally agreed to it, although relunctantly.  
"And I'm going with you," Ashley added.  
"What?! Absolutely not!" Bob protested. "It's too dangerous."  
"Not as dangerous as your driving," she noted, referring to when Bob and she had hijacked Principal Prickly's car and skipped school. (A/N: That reflects back to my first story "King Bob's Day Out")  
Again, she had that effect on him. "Okay, fine," Bob said. "I don't think I'd feel comfortable leaving you out here anyway, with all the grizzly bears, wolves, and mountain lions running around."  
"Very funny."  
"Hey, he's waking up!" they heard Ashley Q. say from behind them. They hurried over to where everyone was to check on Vince.  
"Vince, man," Lawson told him. "We thought you were a goner."  
"I did too, bro.," Vince replied a little weakly. "What happened?"  
"We ran off the road, and you flew through the window," Ashley B. told him.  
"Oh, yeah. I guess Mom wasn't kidding when she told me that safety belts are important."  
"So now what?" Ashley Q. asked. "We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, with no way out."  
"I've already figured something out," Bob explained. For once, everyone was quiet and listened to him. "Me and Ashley are going for help while you guys stay here."  
"What?!" they all yelled.  
"You're leaving me here with HIM?!" Ashley Q. exclaimed, pointing at Lawson.  
"Will you please shut up?" Bob asked her politely. "We can't all go. That hill is way too steep, and with Vince's bum leg, it will take forever to climb it. You guys are going to have to stay here while me and Ashley go get some help. Lawson, you're in charge."  
"What?" Lawson asked, surprised at this sudden leadership nomination. "You're putting ME in charge?"  
"Yeah, why not?" Bob told him, slapping him on the back. "Just try not arguing with the ladies." 


	7. A Hiking We Will Go

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Seven: A Hiking We Will Go  
  
It was really dark now. Ashley and Bob had managed to climb the steep hill, after several falls, and climbed on top of the road. Ashley gasped for breath. She's was already tired and ready to go home. This was ridiculous. Bob was wishing he'd never even started this whole vacation, but that wasn't going to help Vince any. Bob took Ashley's hand and they started walking up the road.  
"Maybe we'll find a town or something," he said, highly doubting it. "Man, this is all my fault. I should have paid attention to the road.  
"It's not anyone's fault," Ashley told him, squeezing his hand. "How were you supposed to know that those deer were going to walk out in front of us?"  
"I don't know. I just feel awful about all this. I hope those four can get along for at least the rest of the night."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Ouch! Something bit me!" Ashley Q. moaned from the campfire Lawson had built. Thank goodness he remembered all that stuff his dad had taught him back when he was little.  
"It's probably just a mosquito," he told her, rolling his eyes. 'What a baby,' he thought as he went to get more wood.  
"A mosquito?! I'm going to get malaria, or yellow fever, or encephalitis!" she cried, swatting the stupid bug with her hand.  
Gah, she was annoying!! Lawson was beginning to wish Bob hadn't nominated him for this leadership thing. Ashley Q. was whining about EVERYTHING! All he'd heard was "I'm hungry", "I'm thirsty", or "I wanna go home", and it was driving not only Lawson crazy but everyone else too.  
Vince was laying down on a grass bed the girls had made for him. He had to admit--he liked all this attention he was getting, even if it was from Ashley Boulet.  
"Would you like some more water, Vincey?" the girl asked sweetly, dying to make Vince as comfortable as possible.  
"Yeah, my throat's a little dry," he answered, then watched her run off to the half-demolished van to get a water bottle. Ashley Q. shot him a glare.  
"You're low," she said. "Taking advantage of her like that."  
"Taking advantage?" Vince asked. "What are you talking about?"  
"Pretending like you actually enjoy being with her just so that you'll get spoiled," she explained.  
"I think all this nature has gotten to your head."  
Ashley Q. scowled in response, then turned toward the fire again to warm up. Stupid mountain weather. The fire was starting to die down from lack of wood. Where the heck was Lawson at? She decided she had better try looking for him, even if he was a jerk...to her anyway. She got up and started towards the dark woods, when suddenly Ashley B. appeared.  
"Where are you going?" she asked.  
"To find that idiot and get more wood for the fire, duh!" she answered, going around her friend.  
"Oh, really?" Ashley B. replied with a grin. Ashley Q. hinted some sort of tone in her voice and turned to face her.  
"What's your problem?" she asked. "Can I help it if I'm freezing in these stupid mountains and that moron hasn't returned with more wood?"  
"I think you like him."  
"WHAT?!" she screamed. "Why on earth do you think THAT?"  
"For one, you always argue with him, which is just one way of flirting," Ashley B. started. "Two, under normal circumstances, you would rather leave him out in the woods to get eaten by a wild animal than go out and find him."  
"This isn't normal circumstances, Ashley B. We're lost in the mountains!!! And I'm freezing!"  
"Ashley and Erwin sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."  
"I'm warning you, Ashley B."  
"First comes--OW!" She was shocked when Ashley Q. actually slapped her face.  
"I'm sorry, but it was necessary. You couldn't be stopped." Then she turned tail and stalked into the woods.  
"Hey, where's my water?" Vince shouted from the background.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * 


	8. Water, Water Everywhere

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Eight: Water, Water Everywhere  
  
Ashley Q. was so ever in a terrible mood as she trudged through the dark forest. HER like Lawson?! Boy, Ashley B. had been bonkers over Vince for so long, that she was starting the think that everyone else was in love with each other. She had been walking around for about ten minutes when suddenly she heard,  
"What are you doin' out here, princess?"  
"AAHHH!" Ashley Q. screamed, unaware that someone was even behind her. She turned around and glared at the figure. "Erwin Lawson, you big bully, you nearly scared me to death!"  
"Oh, cry me a river," he told her. "If you didn't want to get scared, you should've stayed at camp. Now what the heck are you doin' out here?"  
"Like, duh! We're all freezing to death up here in this stupid altitude, and you're so dang pokey, so I decided to come out here and drag you back!"  
"Well, excuse me for havin' to come all the way out here to find decent firewood!"  
"Decent firewood! How is wood decent? All wood is the same!"  
"Will you shut up? I know what decent firewood looks like...and it looks decent."  
"YOU ARE SO STUPID!!!"  
"If you had an annoying girl yakking up a storm in your ears, you'd be pretty stupid too!"  
"Are you trying to say something?" Ashley Q. asked with a growl.  
"Maybe," he answered with a smart-aleck grin.  
"That tears it!"  
With that, she jumped the poor kid. Unfortuneately, she didn't realize that they were standing on the edge of a cliff, and they both went tumbling down its side into the river below...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Man, where on earth are those two at?" Vince asked after finishing off his water bottle. He and Ashley B. had been sitting in front of the fire for about fifteen minutes.  
"I don't know," Ashley B. replied. "All I know is that Ashley Q. went out to find Lawson, and they're not back yet."  
"Oh, man," Vince moaned. "If SHE went after him, they might not be coming back."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean, no offense, but your friend is pretty crabby," Vince told her. "In fact, she's probably done killed Lawson by now."  
"Oh, please, she wouldn't do that."  
"What makes you think that?"  
"I think she likes him."  
Vince stared at her for a moment, then started laughing. "You...you think...she likes him?! That's gotta be the funniest thing I've ever heard! She HATES him!"  
"Says you. I've known Ashley Q. since kindergarten, and arguing with boys is just her way of flirting. Of course, in this case she might actually hate his guts, but she'll realize her feelings eventually."  
"Man, I sure hope Bob hurries up with some help. You girls are turning weirder."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ashley A. was freezing. After all, she was dressed for summer, in her capris, sandals, and lilac tank top. And this mountain weather was helping. Why did mountainous areas have to be cold in the summer anyway? Bob saw she was starting to shiver, so he pulled her close to his side to warm her up somewhat. Actually, he was starting to get a little chilly himself. He sure hoped they found a town soon.  
"Don't worry," he told Ashley as he rubbed his hand over her arm. "Things can't get any worse."  
He spoke too soon. Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, the sky burst open, and rain poured down. Ashley looked up at Bob.  
"You were saying?"  
"Uh...I was saying...we need to get out of the rain?" he answered with a grin. "Look there's a split inside that mountain side. We can camp out in it."  
Ashley glanced over to where Bob was pointing to. The split looked kinda small actually...but big enough for some cuddling.  
"Okay. Fine with me."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * 


	9. The Morning After

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
A/N: O-kay, this is definitely NOT the last King Bob/Ashley A. story. I just got a brainstorm for a really good one. = )  
  
Chapter Nine: The Morning After  
  
Lawson woke up with a pain in his side. What the heck happened? And why was he all wet? He cracked his eyes open, and nearly freaked when he saw where he was. Somehow he had fallen into some river and washed up on shore somewhere. He must have been knocked unconscious, because he couldn't remember what--oh, yeah. That witch Ashley Q. had pushed him over a stupid cliff. Now he was lost. Great.  
He stood up, despite the dizziness and pain he felt, and figured he'd best try to find "camp". He suddenly realized the sun was shining, meaning it was morning. He must have been out there all night. Even more great.  
"If I ever see that blasted Ashley Quinlin again, I'm gonna KILL her!"  
Lawson started walking upstream. If he had flown downstream, then it only made since that camp was upstream. He looked ahead of him and saw none other than Ashley Q.--lying facedown in the dirt. Geez, as much as he hated her right now, he couldn't just leave her out here for the bears to snack on. He walked over to her, then nudged her with his foot.  
"Come on, wake up," he muttered. He was NOT about to carry the good- for-nothing brat up the mountain after all she'd done in the past two days. He was somewhat relieved when she finally woke up.  
"Huh? Where am I?" she asked sleepily.  
"Well, thanks to you, we're LOST!!"  
"What?" she growled, suddenly remembering what all had happened. She stood up on the shore and gave Lawson an evil look. "My fault? Is it my fault that you went looking for firewood by a cliff?"  
"No, but it's your fault that you have a temper problem and pushed us OVER the cliff!"  
"You are so--I oughta--why don't you--UGH!!!"  
"Good, you're speechless. That'll make the trip to camp easier to deal with."  
"What are you talkin' about?" she asked while trying to wring some water out of her hair.  
"Duh! We landed in a river, flowed downstream, and now we have to hike back to camp, and maybe even do some mountain-climbing."  
He turned to start walking back upstream. Ashley stopped trying to dry herself, and raced after him. She couldn't believe this was happening...  
"Are you trying to say that we have to actually DO something?" she asked. "Sorry, but I don't DO anything. It causes sweat."  
Lawson took a glance at her. "Well, right now you look like a drowned rat, so I don't think a little sweat's gonna make you look any worse than you do right now."  
"I hate you!"  
"Yeah, well, I'm not too fond of you either."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Vince and Ashley B. awoke to a cold, wet surrounding. When it had started raining last night, they had decided to try piling in the van. Although half-destroyed, it still functioned as a pretty good shelter.  
"Man, I'm starved," Vince said. "Hey, Ashley B., you don't think all that snack food me and Lawson threw in the back is ruined do ya?"  
"No, it should still be fresh," she answered, turning to dig around through the mess that had accummulated back there.  
"I wonder whatever happened to Lawson and Ashley Q.," Vince wondered aloud. "They've been out all night. I hoped nothing bad happened to them."  
"I'm sure they're fine," Ashley B. told him, finally finding a bag of tortilla chips. "Here ya go."  
"Thanks."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ashley A. woke up and rubbed her eyes. It was morning. Man, she didn't think she'd be able to sleep in such a cramped position all night in that crevice. But of course, Bob made it more comfortable. She always thought of him as one big teddy bear. Suddenly, she noticed something...Bob wasn't there. She shot up.  
"Bob?" she called, stepping out of the crevice. "Bob, where are you?"  
"Over here, sweetie," she heard. She was relieved to see him coming from the other side of the road. "Come look at what I found."  
Ashley walked over to where he was and saw that he was holding a handful a blackberries. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she heard her stomach growl.  
"Oooh, yum!" she exclaimed as Bob poured them into her hand. "Where'd you find them?"  
"Over there," he said, pointing to a huge bush growing between two huge rocks. "There's plenty left if you want some more."  
After a good breakfast of blackberries, they continued walking up the road. They sure hoped to find help soon. They weren't sure how long their friends could hold out on their own...especially Vince with his injuries.  
  
* * * * * * * * 


	10. When Nature Attacks

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Ten: When Nature Attacks  
  
"My feet hurt!" Ashley Q. cried after about ten minutes of walking through the brush. "Are we there yet?"  
"Does this look like camp to you?" Lawson asked her, who was about ten feet in front of her. This was getting ridiculous... "We're probably not going to get there any time soon."  
"You mean we have to do this all day?! I'm going to kill over!"  
"I'm not that lucky," Lawson muttered to himself.  
"Can we at least stop and rest or something? My feet are killing me!"  
Lawson looked behind him and saw that she DID look like she was having some problems. After all, she wasn't used to being out in this kind of environment. "Oh, fine. But only for a few minutes. I wanna get out of here ASAP."  
"Gee, you're so nice," Ashley Q. remarked sarcastically as she plopped down on a boulder. Then she thought, "I should have worn my favorite shirt--Boys are stupid...throw rocks at them!"  
It wasn't long after she thought this that she heard something move behind her. Frustrated, she turned around and saw...  
"Aww...a kitty cat!" she cooed as she picked up the little creature and put it in her lap.  
"A what?" Lawson asked, looking at what she had found. He nearly croaked at what she was holding. "Uh...that's not a kitty cat."  
"What are you talking about?" Ashley Q. asked him coldly, still petting her new "pet". "Of course it is."  
"It's a freakin' baby mountain lion!" he exclaimed. "Put that flea- bitten thing down and get rid of it!"  
"Mountain lion?" she asked. "I think you've been out in the sun too long."  
"Listen, girl. That is a filthy, disgusting, mangy, wild animal!"  
"I'm gonna name it Fluffy."  
"NO! You're not supposed to name it!" Lawson argued. "Once you name it, you start getting attached to it. Now put that thing back where it came from, or so help me, I'll--"  
He shut up when he saw this huge mother mountain lion standing behind Ashley. And this momma looked mad that this human girl had her baby. Lawson started backing up slowly.  
"Uh...Ashley? Don't make any sudden moves. There's a mountain lion momma behind you."  
"What?" she asked, turning around, only to come face-to-face with a full grown cougar. "AAAAAHHHH!!!"  
She screamed and dropped the "kitten" and ran for her life, bulldozing Lawson out of her way. The angry lioness roared then started going after her. Lawson started running after Ashley.  
"I told you not to make any sudden moves!" he shouted at her as they started climbing this huge tree.  
"You didn't say anything about screaming!" she shouted back.  
The lioness almost caught up with them. She growled and tried climbing the tree, but she wasn't that interested. Ashley and Lawson stared down from the branches as she laid down a little ways from the tree with her baby.  
"Now what, genius?" Ashley snapped.  
"Do the world a favor and shut up."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Man, I am really started to get worried about those two," Vince told Ashley B. from inside the van. "They should have been back HOURS ago!"  
"They probably just got lost or something," Ashley B. replied, but she was actually starting to worry herself.  
"I mean, something bad may have happened to them. They could be dead, knocked unconscious, fatally wounded--"  
"Stop it! You're scarin' me."  
"Oh, sorry. Man, I'm bored. I wonder if the radio still works."  
Ashley B. shrugged, then leaned over to fiddle with the dials. Nothing. Then she remembered that she had brought her own boombox to listen to once they reached Talladega and stayed in a hotel. She dug it out from under the seat and switched it on. It had some static, but it still picked up some stations. She finally found a song by "Pink", opened the windows, and set the boombox on the roof. Vince thought that was pretty stupid, but whatever.  
"Why did you even come on this trip anyway?" he asked her.  
"Well, duh! Because my friends were going, and I didn't want to stay in town all by myself."  
"Yeah, me too," Vince confessed. "I don't even like NASCAR."  
"For real?" Ashley B. asked. "Neither do I!"  
"Are you serious? Good, that means we don't have to talk about it. Do you like any sports?"  
"I like watching basketball. I'm kinda into the Pagans."  
"No way! That's my favorite team! Jamaal Van Johnson rules!"  
"Nah, I'm more of a Marques LeBard fan."  
"Oh, whatever!" He paused. "Did you hear something?"  
"What are you talkin' about?"  
"I thought I heard something...howl," he said with a confused look on his face. "There aren't any wolves out here, is there?"  
"I don't know. I hope not," Ashley B. answered, starting to get worried. They looked out the windows and much to their horror, a pack of five wolves had emerged from the forest and were surrounding the van. They must have heard the radio and decided to check things out. Uh-oh...  
"Quick, close the windows," Vince informed. "If they get in here, we're goners."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Bob, I'm getting tired," Ashley A. moaned. She felt like they had been walking for hours. All this walking was making her hot, even in this mountain weather, so she dug a ponytail-holder out of her pocket and put her blonde hair up.  
"Don't worry, we can't be much farther from...somewhere," Bob assured her, although he was getting pretty tired himself. He prayed that someone would come driving by and they could hitch a ride with them. Presently, that's exactly what happened. An eighteen-wheeler hauling furniture came driving by and stopped just ahead of them.  
"Whoa," Bob thought. "I guess prayers do get answered."  
"Do you think he'll give us a lift?" Ashley asked him.  
"I hope so. Come on, let's see."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	11. Patty

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Eleven: Patty  
  
Bob and Ashley approached the enormous truck cautiously. They jumped the driver's door swung open. Presently, a chubby, short lady about forty- something came out. Ashley was shocked. She had never seen a woman truck driver before.  
"Are you kids in some kind of trouble?" the woman asked as she walked up to them.  
"Yeah," Bob answered. "Me and my friends were driving down the road, but we flew off it and landed at the bottom of a really steep hill. And one of our friends got injured, and we REALLY need to get to a town."  
"Man, you kids have had it rough, huh?" the lady remarked. "Name's Patty. What's yours?"  
"Uh...I'm Bob, and this is my girlfriend Ashley."  
"Nice meetin' ya. I'd be glad to help you out. Just crawl in the truck and we'll get going."  
The three of them got inside the huge vehicle (Bob had to pick Ashley up so she could get in), and they were soon driving down the highway.  
"So, where were ya'll headed before you wrecked?" Patty asked.  
"We were going to the Talladega Racetrack," Ashley answered.  
"Talladega, eh? To watch the race, no doubt. That's just a few hours away from here."  
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking after we crashed," Bob told her.  
"Too bad ya'll didn't wreck closer to it, huh?" Patty chuckled.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ashley Q. could not believe this was happening to her. When Ashley B. had been singing that they'd be "sittin' in a tree", she had no idea that it would happen literally. The lion was still down there watching their every move.  
"If anyone ever asks us about this, I'm blaming you entirely," Lawson told her from the other side of the tree trunk.  
Yeah, they had made a point to seperate by placing themselves on seperate sides of the trunk. That had to be the smartest thing they had ever done.  
"And next time you decide to play with a wild animal, let me know ahead of time so that I can get a head start when the momma comes," he added after Ashley didn't say anything.  
"Shut up."  
"Why should I? If it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't be stuck in this stupid tree."  
"You are so aggravating!" Ashley whispered forcefully, not wanting to catch the lion's attention. "Why did you even come on this trip anyway?"  
"I don't know about you, but I came to see Jeff Gordon race."  
Ashley was astounded. "You like Jeff Gordon?"  
"Yeah. Why, is that a problem for Your Majesty?"  
"No. It's just that...that's why I came too."  
Now it was HIS turn to be surprised. "YOU like to watch the races? I always thought you were too much of a girly-girl to watch anything sports- related."  
"Well, it's all Ashley A.'s fault really. She liked Dale Jr. so much that she made me watch the race with her one Sunday, and I started liking it too."  
"That's cool. Uh...so, how are we gettin' outta this tree?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The wolves were getting closer to the van. Ashley B. was getting scared. Vince was trying hard to think of a plan. Dang, that had always been T.J. Detweiller's job. Too bad they weren't as good friends as they used to be, thanks to Vince's bad attitude while playing sports.  
"Vince, what are we going to do?" Ashley asked him. "Those wolves are getting too close for comfort."  
"I know, I know," Vince replied. "I'm trying to think of something."  
A few moments passed before either of them said anything. This was getting scary...  
"Not that I'm trying to rush you or anything," Ashley said. "But if we don't do something NOW, those wolves are going to eat us!"  
"Calm down, I can't think. Okay, the music is what attracted them in the first place, right? Well, maybe that's because they like it."  
Ashley looked at him like he was crazy. "They LIKE it? I don't think wolves LIKE anything."  
"Trust me, okay? Now, what do they NOT like?"  
"I don't know?"  
"Unpleasant loud noises! It'll scare them off."  
"Hey, not a bad idea! But...how are we going to make unpleasant loud noises?"  
Vince's face fell. "Uh...wait a minute! The horn on the steering wheel! It's loud and not fun to listen to!"  
He leaned over, despite the pain in his leg, and started beating the steering wheel. What the--it wasn't working!  
"What's the matter with this thing?" Vince grumbled. "Why don't it honk?"  
"Maybe it's one of those horns that don't honk unless the vehicle is cranked up," Ashley suggested.  
"What kind of car does that?"  
"Ashley A.'s cousin has a red Beetle that works like that."  
"Oh...so, seen the key anywhere?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * 


	12. Failure and Success

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Twelve: Failure and Success  
  
"Can't you just hotwire the van or something?" Ashley B. asked as she and Vince searched for the key.  
"Are you crazy? Only Bob knows how to do that."  
"It's worth a try. I mean, there's no way we're going to find that key. For all we know, Bob took it with him."  
"Nah, Bob wouldn't do that...and if he did, it was by accident."  
Ashley sighed as she continued searching the front seats for the key. The wolves were getting restless, and one had even started scratching on the door.  
"I still think you should try hotwiring it," she insisted.  
"If I do, will you be quiet about it?"  
"I guess."  
"Okay," he replied, scooting down the driver's seat to find the wires. "Now, let's see, which wires do I cross?"  
He closed his eyes and picked two, then twisted them together. Nothing. He chose two other wires. Still nothing. He chose a third time and miraculously they were the right ones. The van came to life. The wolves were a little startled by this and back off a few steps.  
"All right!" Vince shouted. "Now, we're in business."  
He started beeping the horn as hard as he could. The wolves nearly had a heart-attack when they heard that.  
"I think it's working!" Ashley exclaimed. "They looked pretty scared."  
"Good! Maybe now they'll leave us alone."  
Ashley's smiling face suddenly fell. "Uh...Vince. They're not leaving."  
"They will. Just give 'em a minute."  
"No, I mean they're getting closer. And they look even madder."  
"WHAT?!"  
Vince peered out the window. She was right. The wolves looked extremely agitated and were now growling and folding their ears back. Uh- oh...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"If you ask me," Patty said as they drove down the road. "I think your friend needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. He could have some kind of infection."  
"That's why we went for help in the first place," Bob explained. He felt a little weird for having to sit in between two girls--Ashley on his right, and Patty on his left.  
"And we REALLY need to hurry up and get back there," Ashley said. "I'm worried about Ashley Q. and Lawson."  
"What for?" Bob asked. "They can take care of themselves."  
"But you know they like to argue. And Ashley Q. likes to start stuff. She's probably making everyone miserable."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"I think one of us needs to act as a diversion," Ashley Q. proclaimed, trying to come up with a way to get rid of their mountain lion problem.  
"Since you suggested it, YOU can do it," Lawson smirked.  
"I was thinking YOU could do it."  
"Why me? It's your fault we're up here."  
"Stop reminding me, okay? Right now, we need to concentrate on getting out of this tree, and I think we need to have a decoy."  
"Ri-ight, more like 'live bait'."  
"Stop being such a grump and get down there!"  
"Make me."  
Ashley had had enough of this. She leaned over to Lawson's side of the trunk and forcefully pushed him out of the tree.  
"AHHH!" he yelled as he fell to the ground. The lion picked her head up and growled when she saw that one of her prey had finally descended from their hiding spot. Lawson couldn't believe Ashley had just pushed him out of a tree. When he saw that lion glaring at him hungrily, he got on his feet and took off running, with the angry momma after him.  
While he was doing that, Ashley got to get down and start trying to climb the mountain. She suddenly realized, however, that she wasn't a very good climber. Actually, she sucked at it.  
"I hate the outdoors!" she exclaimed as she ran along the ground looking for somewhere to go.  
Meanwhile, Lawson was still getting chased by the lion. He tore his way through the thick brush and skidded to a stop. There wasn't anywhere else to run. In front of him was very steep cliff that had very pointy rocks at the bottom. He glanced behind him and saw the lion behind him had stopped too. She got into her crouching positon and pounced at him. Luckily, he had good reflexes, and ducked down in order to prevent the lion from catching him.  
The "plan" worked. The lion went flying over the side of the mountain to her death. Lawson closed his eyes as it landed on the rocks. Eww...not a pretty sight to see.  
By this time, Ashley had shown up. She was shocked to see the lion wasn't anywhere in sight.  
"Where's the lion at?" she asked.  
"Down there," Lawson told her, pointing down the side of the cliff. "You might not want to look; it's kinda gross."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * 


	13. Nocturnal Events

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Thirteen: Nocturnal Events  
  
It was starting to get dark. Ashley had nodded off to sleep on Bob's shoulder as Patty continued to drive towards town. Bob felt like he was going to go to sleep too, but Patty nudged him awake.  
"Look where we are," she told him, pointing out in front of them.  
Bob squinted to see what lay ahead. It looked like...a town! They had made it! Bob gently started waking Ashley up from her sleep.  
"Ashley, look," he told her. "We made it to a town! We can get help here!"  
"Huh? What?" she asked sleepily. "We're here?"  
"You better believe it!" Patty chuckled. "Where do ya'll want dropped off at? A towing company?"  
"I guess so," Bob answered. "If that's all we have to work with."  
"They should help ya out just fine," Patty assured him, turning right at a green light. "I used to live here, so I know where I'm goin'."  
They arrived at this towing place called "Tom's Towing". The three of them got out, Ashley still half asleep, and walked up to the front door. Bob was wondering if this guy would be awake at this hour.  
"Uhh, Patty? Don't you think this Tom guy might be asleep?" he asked.  
"Shucks, of course not!" Patty laughed. "Ole Tom's always awake. Sometimes I wonder if he's part raccoon."  
To be polite, Bob gave a little chuckle. He was starting to get uncomfortable in the strange surrounding and grabbed a hold of Ashley's hand. Actually, she wasn't to comfortable here either, but they had to get help for their friends.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Lawson was still very upset with Ashley Q. for pushing him out of that tree and nearly getting him eaten alive by some wild mountain lion. He made his point quite clear by refusing to talk to her at all. Since it had gotten dark, both of them were resting by a huge tree--one on each side of course--and were trying to get some sleep.  
Ashley had never been in the great outdoors for such a long time before, much less stay the night out there. She was absolutely scared to death as she heard one strange sound after another. And she was starting to get a little cold as well. Lawson on the other hand had gotten to sleep rather peacefully, hands behind his head for comfort, and his hat pulled down over his eyes to block the moonlight.  
Ashley decided that she had best TRY to get some sleep, no matter how noisy it was out here. She relunctantly leaned back on the mossy oak tree and laid her head against it. She had just closed her eyes when suddenly she heard something moving in the bushes in front of her. She popped her eyes open. If it was another mountain lion...oh, it was just a stupid porcupine. Wait a minute...PORCUPINE?!  
Being the natural idiot she was, she of course didn't realize how dangerous porcupines were. Getting aggravated with its presence, she tried shooing it away with her hand. When that didn't work, she actually started kicking at it.  
"Get away from me, you ugly creature," she whispered to it, as if it would actually listen.  
The porcupine didn't appreciate being kicked at. In fact, it got really mad. When Ashley started waving her hands at it again, it turned around and WHACKED it with its tail, leaving three quills in the palm in her hand. The scream that followed would've woken a deaf man. Lawson jumped at hearing her shrieking and turned around to see what her problem was.  
"What's wrong with you?" he asked. "Some of us are trying to sleep."  
Ashley started crying. "That porcupine hit me!"  
Lawson took a glance at her hand. Yep, it had three quills stuck in it. And boy did it sting! She started crying even more, until at last Lawson decided to help her get them out--partly because he felt a little sorry for her, and partly because he wasn't ever going to get any sleep with her bawling like that.  
"Hold still," he told her, as he took her sore hand. "I'm goin' to try pullin' them out."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The wolves were really getting angry. One had even jumped on top of the van and started pawing the roof. Another was busy trying to hop on the hood. They looked REAL hungry...  
"Vince, what are we going to do now?" Ashley B. asked worriedly.  
"I don't know," he sighed. "I just wish everyone would hurry up and come back. I am seriously worried."  
"Yeah, me too."  
Ashley jumped when some of the wolves started howling. Most people would have said it sounded beautiful, like they were singing to each other. But right now, it sounded deadly...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * 


	14. First Kisses

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Fourteen: First Kisses  
  
"HEY, TOM! WAKE UP!" Patty yelled while beating on the little screen door. Bob and Ashley were shocked at such crude behavior, even from a truck driver. They prayed Tom wouldn't wake up grouchy...  
Finally a light switched on in the house, and the door swung open. The three of them were faced with a short, shrimpy looking man who looked like he was maybe of Mexican descent. His red eyes told that he hadn't had much sleep yet.  
"What's your problem?" he snapped as he rubbed his eyes.  
"Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" Patty joked.  
"Patty? Is that you?"  
"Sure, it's me. Who'd ya think it was?" she answered, giving Tom a hug.  
Bob cleared his throat to get Patty's attention back to the main purpose of the visit.  
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Patty exclaimed when she heard Bob. "Tom, I need a favor. These two kids here, Bob and Ashley, had an accident and their van's at the bottom of some ravine. They've been running around for almost two days, and they've got some friends down there waitin' on them. One's hurt real bad, and I was hoping that you could maybe help them out or something."  
Tom registered all of this. "At the bottom of a ravine? How the devil am I supposed to tow something at the bottom of some mountain?"  
"Listen, mister," Ashley spoke up with attempted bravery. "Our friends are down there, and we need some help!"  
"Well, that's just too bad," Tom sneered. "But there ain't no way I can drive my tow truck down a hillside and pull up some van!"  
"Oh, Tom, stop playin' around," Patty said. "I know you've got a helicopter somewhere in that backyard of yours that you use on occasions like this."  
Bob and Ashley looked at him with pleading eyes. Tom couldn't think of an excuse for that, so he finally gave in.  
"Patty, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut," he muttered. "All right, I'll help ya'll."  
"Yes!" Bob and Ashley replied, giving high fives.  
"But I cain't do nothin' tonight," Tom continued. "We're goin' to have to wait till' mornin'."  
"MORNING?!" Bob shouted. "But--"  
"But I need my beauty sleep. You can all sleep in my living room if ya'll want," he offered, opening the door wider.  
Patty urged them inside, and they did so relunctantly. They all sat on the dingy sofa as Tom headed off for the kitchen.  
"Ya'll been out there for two days?" he asked. "Bet ya'll are hungry, huh?"  
"Yeah, starving," Bob told him, looking warily at the preserved body of a crow that was positioned near the lamp on the night table.  
"I've got peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with milk. Take it or leave it."  
Bob looked at Ashley who shrugged. "PBJ sandwiches sound great," he said.  
"Good, 'cause it's all I got," Tom answered from the little kitchen.  
"Uh...Patty?" Ashley asked. "Don't you have to be somewhere with your shipments by a certain time?"  
"Shucks, girl, I'm sure those tightwads over at Benson Furniture can wait another day. I just can't let you two and Tom have all the fun, can I?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Okay, we need another plan," said Vince, glancing out the window at the wolves.  
"But I'm out of ideas!" Ashley B. cried. "What if those wolves get in here before we can think of something?"  
"Hey, calm down," Vince said softly, putting an arm around her. "It's gonna be fine."  
"How do you know?"  
"I don't know. I just do."  
Ashley B. couldn't help but notice that Vince's arm was around her. Was this some sort of dream? In real life, Vince LaSalle would NEVER put his arm around her. Or would he? She had been dreaming forever that he would do something like this, but he made it so obvious that he wouldn't. Was he finally warming up to her?  
"Uh...Vince? You do realize that your arm is around me?"  
"Huh?" He suddenly realized that it was true. His arm WAS around her. How did that happen? "Well...I, I'm just tryin' to...uh...help you calm down, is all." What a pathetic excuse.  
"Uh-huh," Ashley remarked sarcastically.  
There was an awkward pause. Vince was suddenly nervous at the fact that he was ALONE with this girl. This girl that had been after him since ninth grade, that had been fawning over him every day since then, that he had been trying to ignore all his life. But now, he actually started feeling like...liking her.  
He started to pull away from her, then hesistated before quickly bending his head down to hers and placing a kiss on her lips. Ashley was stunned...yet extremely pleased...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"OW!" Ashley Q. yelped as Lawson yanked the second quill out of her palm. "I thought I said to be more careful!"  
"I can't help it if they're in there deep," he replied. "Hold still, there's only one left."  
The last one was in there even deeper than the other two. This one was really gonna hurt when it came out.  
"Brace yourself, this one's gonna hurt bad," he warned as he got a good grip on the quill.  
Ashley shut her eyes tightly. Now sooner did Lawson yank it out of her hand did she let out a high-pitched scream before instinctly giving him a good punch in the eye.  
"Crappit, girl!" he shouted as he pressed his hand over his left eye. "What the heck did ya do that for? I was just helpin' ya out!"  
"I--I'm sorry," Ashley spat out quickly. "It came as a surprise is all. I didn't think it would hurt that bad, and when it did I just freaked out and whopped you."  
"Whopped, nothin'! You nearly busted my head open! You hit like a freakin' boxer!"  
Lawson kept his hand over his injured eye and sat down by the side of the tree. Ashley never thought that the day would come where she'd actually feel guilty for something she had done. But right now, she felt extremely sorry for having punched him like that after he had been nice enough to extract porcupine quills from her hand.  
Man, Lawson's eye was watering. He couldn't believe he just got hit by a girl--and an Ashley at that. One thing was for sure, he wasn't telling ANYONE about this.  
"Here, let me take a look at it," Ashley offered, bending down to pry his hand off.  
"No, just go away," he said, pushing her hand away. "You've done quite enough already. First you push us off a cliff, then get us chased by a mountain lion, then try to kill me by pushing me out of a tree, and now you've done bashed my eye in. What on earth makes you think I'm gonna let you take a look at it?"  
"Will you stop trying to make me feel bad? All I want to do is see how bad it looks."  
"Well, it looks terrible, so you can go away now."  
"Stop being such a baby, and let me look at it!" she argued.  
"NO!"  
"I swear, you are so difficult!"  
Lawson got up on his feet to look her in the eye. "I'M difficult?! You're the one who's difficult!"  
"I am not!"  
"Yes, you are! You're the most difficult person I've ever met!"  
"Well, you're not exactly a sweetheart yourself, ERWIN."  
"I can say the same for you, Queen-lin."  
"If you call me that one more time..."  
"Or what? You'll tell Daddy on me? You must really hate me if your gonna tell DADDY on me."  
Ashley didn't know what to say next. She was out of comebacks. And this whole thing was getting ridiculous anyway. So she did the only thing she could think of--something she realized she should have done a long time ago. She kissed him. Nothing too long, just a short one. When she leaned back, Lawson was giving her this confused look, as if he didn't know what had just happened.  
"What? Stop looking at me like that!" Ashley demanded, trying to cover the fact that she actually was starting to like him a little bit...which was extremely crazy. "It was the only thing I could think of to shut you up, okay?"  
Lawson didn't hear a word she said. He could not believe that his worst enemy just kissed him. It was...incomprehensible. They had been arguing for years with each other, and now this happened.  
"I knew that!" he told her, not able to come up with something better. "Do I look stupid or something? And for the record, THAT never happened, understand?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Phew...this was a long one! 


	15. A Chopper Named Jezebel

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Fifteen: A Chopper Named Jezebel  
  
The whole night in Tom's little run-down shack was extremely...noisy. With all the owls hooting, wolves howling, and crickets chirping, Bob could hardly sleep. He was surprised Ashley was able to, but she did. She must have been extremely tired. Patty was konked on the recliner, while he and Ashley were snuggled together on the couch. Tom had fallen asleep in a kitchen chair.  
Just when Bob thought he was about to get some sleep, it was morning and the sun was up. And with it, Tom and Patty woke up.  
"Come on, kids, let's get crackin'!" Patty exclaimed as she shook them awake gently. Or rather shook Ashley awake. Bob was still awake. "We've got major rescuing to do!"  
"Yeah, wake up so we can get this over with," Tom added sarcastically.  
Bob, Ashley, and Patty followed Tom out to the backyard towards a huge barn. It must've been where he kept his helicopter.  
"This folks, is the home of the my chopper, Jezebel," Tom said proudly.  
"It has a name?" Ashley asked.  
"Sure. I name all my heavy machinery. Just like my tow truck's named Mac."  
"Enough yakkin', Tom," Patty interrupted. "Get Jezebel out and let's get goin'!"  
"All right, hold your horses. Let me pull her out."  
With that, Tom went inside the barn, and the remaining party listened as he cranked up a huge truck and started moving out the doors. Next thing they saw was Tom driving a huge vehicle that was pulling a portable stand with a rather large chopper on it--Jezebel. Hey, cool...it had custom-made orange and yellow flames all over it.  
"Whoa!" Bob proclaimed. "It's HUGE!"  
"She's a beaut, ain't she?" Patty asked.  
"That's nothing. My daddy makes helicopters bigger than that," Ashley said offhandedly.  
Tom parked the truck and jumped out to join the others. Bob was absolutely astonished that this poor guy had such a wonderful piece of equipment.  
"How did you afford this?" he asked him.  
"I won it in a poker game with an Army general. You can imagine the trouble he got into," he answered. "So, are we ready to go and save those youngsters are not?!"  
They all piled into the huge chopper and buckled up. Tom sat in the pilot's seat of course and "cranked" her up. It wasn't much longer that the blades started spinning on top, and they were soon floating in the air and sailing over treetops.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Last night was mainly a blur. Vince couldn't really remember what all had happened. Wait a minute...he had kissed Ashley B...and he liked it. Could this mean he was in love with her? And to think that he used to despise her. He glanced out the window and saw that the wolves had gotten tired and gone to sleep. Maybe this would be a good chance to try and escape or something.  
"Hey, Ashley, wake up," Vince said softly as he nudged her awake.  
"Huh? What's goin' on?"  
"The wolves are asleep, see?" he asked as he pointed outside. "I'm thinking that this is the perfect oppurtunity to try and make an escape."  
"An escape?! Are you crazy? Those wolves will hear us and come after us!"  
"Maybe, but I'm starting to go nuts in here. And I'm starting to think that we're never goin' to get any help."  
With that, Vince silently opened one of the windows. When none of the wolves woke up, he continued to climb out onto the roof. The wolf that had been there last night had obviously disappeared. He also noticed that their stupid radio had finally run low on batteries. He finally got situated on the roof before leaning down and saying,  
"Okay, now your turn."  
"I'm not getting up there! You're crazy!"  
"Hey, I made it all right. Nothing's goin' to happen, so just get up here!"  
Ashley sighed in defeat and proceeded to climb out the window. This had to be the dumbest thing she had ever done in her life. Vince leaned down to grab her and hoist her up to the roof with him. Crazy, but all Ashley could think about was how strong Vince was to pull her up there.  
"Okay, now what?" she asked once she had gotten into a sitting position.  
"Now we...uh...I don't know, I haven't figured that part out yet."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It wasn't much longer after Vince and Ashley B. had crawled on top of the van's roof, that Lawson and Ashley Q. woke up. Lawson still couldn't believe that girl had kissed him. She may have just SAID it was to get him to shut up, but he suspected otherwise. Actually, Ashley couldn't believe she had even done such a thing. She must have been seriously tired or something, because if she would never do anything like that in real life. Or would she? She was starting to wonder.  
Right now, they were busy trying to climb up the side of the mountain. They had found a pretty easy spot to start off at...easy enough for Ashley anyway. That girl did NOT know how to climb. The whole time she fussed about how she had broken one of her nails, or how she was getting blisters, or how embarrassing it was to be doing such BOYISH activities. Personally, Lawson didn't get what her problem was. This was FUN!  
"Are we getting any closer to the top?" she asked about half-way up.  
"Yeah, we're about ten minutes from the top."  
"Thank goodness. First thing I do when I get back to that van is get some water. If Ashley B. and Vince haven't gulped it all down yet!"  
"Gimme a break. If I find Bob there, I'm gonna KILL him for not coming out here and lookin' for us."  
"Yeah, I'll do that too...after I've had my water."  
Was it just Lawson, or were they actually getting along? Not once since they woke up had they argued about anything...well, anything important anyway. Very odd...  
Finally they made it to the top of the cliff, where Lawson had to pull Ashley up. Geez, it felt so good to be up there!  
"All right, let's find the van and get out of here," she said.  
"For real. If I ever see another wild animal again, it will be too soon."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * 


	16. And Then There Were Four

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
Chapter Sixteen: And Then There Were Four  
  
Vince and Ashley B. stayed still as stone when they saw one of the wolves start to wake up. Soon, all of them were beginning to show signs of life. Ashley looked at Vince.  
"They're waking up, in case you haven't noticed," she told him. "Now explain to me WHY we got up here?"  
"Hush, I'm tryin' to think!"  
"Well, think faster because I thought I saw one's eyes open."  
Before Vince could think of a brilliant plan, the wolves were fully awake. When the pack's leader saw their prey outside their shelter, he gave a low snarl and the others did the same as they progressed toward the van. Ashley grabbed Vince's arm.  
"What are we gonna do?!" she cried.  
"Stay calm! They want us to freak out so they can have more pleasure in...never mind. Just stay calm."  
"Stay calm? How can I stay calm? Those things are hungry and they want to EAT us!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Lawson and Ashley Q. were busy in the woods trying to find their way back to camp. It seemed like they had been out there for HOURS...  
"Are we going in circles?" Ashley asked as she pricked a briar of her jeans. "I could've sworn we've passed this tree before."  
"That's because they're all PINE," Lawson explained. "All pine trees look the same."  
"Whatever."  
"It's not whatever; it's what it is." (A/N: A little joke b/t me and my mom.)  
Ashley rolled her eyes. She was so sick of being outside. If anything good happened at all out here, it would be getting somewhat tan.  
"Hey, I think I see a clearing up ahead," she heard her "travelling buddy" say.  
"Thank God."  
When they pushed back the bushes in front of them, they gasped at what they saw. Vince and Ashley B. were on top of the van and a pack of hungry-looking wolves were surrounding them.  
"Omigosh!" Ashley Q. whispered. "They're goin' to get eaten!"  
"Looks like we weren't the only ones with animal problems."  
Vince looked up, then shook Ashley B.'s hand excitedly before pointing out their friends in the woods.  
"Oh my Lord, they're alive!" she exclaimed. "But they're all the way over THERE."  
"Yeah, over there on the GROUND. How the heck are we goin' to get back together?"  
  
"Hey, Vince!" Lawson whispered loud enough for him to hear.  
"Yo, man, where've ya been?" Vince whispered back from the van.  
"I'll tell ya later. How we gonna get rid of yall's wolf problem?"  
"Don't ask me. I've been trying to lose 'em for two days."  
"Okay, just a sec."  
Lawson turned to Ashley Q. "We're gonna have to make a run for the van."  
"WHAT?! Are you crazy? Those creatures are going to eat us for sure!"  
"Not if we run fast enough."  
"I think we need a diversion..."  
"Oh, no! We're goin' through that again. I still remember that pushing-me-out-of-the-tree incident."  
  
FIVE MINUTES LATER...  
  
"So, we didn't need a diversion, huh?" Ashley Q. glared as the four of them sat on the van roof glancing at the ferocious animals surrounding them.  
"Heh heh..." Lawson laughed nervously.  
"Man, I can't believe you guys just ran through that pack of wolves...without gettin' killed!" Vince exclaimed.  
"Where we you two at?" Ashley B. asked. "We thought you guys were dead."  
"It's a long story, trust me," Ashley Q. replied.  
"It wouldn't have been so long if you hadn't pushed me over that cliff."  
"Get over it already!"  
"Cliff?!" Vince asked. "Ya'll went over a cliff?"  
"I'll fill you in later," Lawson remarked.  
"Guys, those wolves are REALLY mad," Ashley B. pointed out. "Any more bright ideas?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Jezebel flew over the tree tops in search of the missing van. Bob and Ashley frantically searched out the window for it as they slowly travelled through the air. Just when they thought they were never goin' to find them, Bob finally spotted the van.  
"Look, down there!" he shouted, pointing down. "See it?"  
"Yeah, but barely!" Ashley answered. "Tom, do you see it?"  
"Sure do!"  
"Want some binoculars, kid?" Patty asked, offering hers to Bob, whom graciously accepted them.  
He looked through them and almost croaked when he saw what was going on. Ashley looked worriedly at him.  
"Bob? What's wrong?"  
"Uh...they're all sittin' on top of the van...surrounded by a pack of wolves."  
"Wolves?!" Patty cried. "Tom, we need to get down there fast! Them youngsters are in trouble!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * 


	17. Reunited

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess, as everyone already knows...  
  
A/N: Finally, the last chapter to this rat race story! Thanks to all my faithful reviewers out there!  
  
Chapter Seventeen: Reunited  
  
Tom started lowering Jezebel down towards the ground. There seemed to be enough room to land her beside the van without damaging the trees. The four on the van didn't even notice that it was there until they felt some strong wind coming down on them.  
"What in the heck?" Lawson asked looking up in the sky.  
"I...I don't believe it!" Ashley B. exclaimed. "We're being rescued!"  
"It's about time, that's all I have to say!" Ashley Q. remarked.  
The wolves had felt the wind, too. In fact, when they saw that huge flying piece of machinery hovering over them, they tucked in their tails and headed towards the woods. The wind got so strong, that the "Van Gang" had to grip the sides of the vehicle to keep from flying off.  
When it descended, they all jumped off and hurried to it. Bob and Ashley A. rushed out to greet them.  
"Man, I thought you'd never get here!" Vince told them as they all hugged each other.  
"Yeah, we thought you two were dead or something," Lawson added.  
"Were we gone that long?" Bob asked them.  
"I thought it was only a couple days," Ashley A. noted.  
"Yeah, two days of torture!" Ashley Q. shrieked.  
"How can YOU say that? I was the one being attacked by a mountain lion!" Lawson exclaimed.  
"Well, my hand was disfigured by a porcupine!"  
"What are you two complaining about?" Vince asked. "WE were the ones surrounded by wolves for two days!"  
"GUYS! Stop arguing!" Bob interrupted. "Who cares? The important thing is that everyone's okay and we're together again."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lawson replied.  
"Can we please get out of here?" Ashley Q. asked while examining a nail that had broken. "I'm sick of this place."  
"Well, kiddies, let's get your stuff out of that van and get you on your way!" Patty proclaimed as she walked up.  
"Who's she?" Ashley B. asked.  
"She's a friend that helped us get to the guy who owns the chopper," Ashley A. explained.  
"Let's ship your luggage inside, then ol' Tom'll come back for the van," Patty continued.  
"Sounds good to me," Vince replied.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was extremely crowded at the NASCAR race at the Talladega Racetrack. It was the final lap and so far, Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon were both tied for the lead. Of course, Bob and Lawson had placed a bet on which one would win. If neither driver won, then Vince would get the money.  
"Come on, Dale!"  
"You go, Jeff!"  
"And the driver's are closing in to the finish line," the announcer shouted over the intercom. "Earnhardt Junior and Gordon are both tied for first place. Which one will take the trophy? Oh, I don't believe it folks! Looks like Harvick has sped up, and...and...and Kevin Harvick wins the race!"  
The faithful Dale Jr. and Gordon fans slumped in their seats. How unfair! Bob and Lawson grudgingly gave Vince one hundred dollars total.  
"Talk about a lucky break," Lawson muttered to Bob.  
"You're tellin' me."  
"When do boys ever learn?" Ashley A. said to her friends.  
"If there was one word to describe this," Ashley Q. started. "It would have to be--"  
"SCANDALOUS!" the three girls giggled.  
"Man, I hate when they say that," Lawson groaned.  
"I don't know, I kinda think it's cute," Vince said.  
"You would, Lover-boy. I bet if Ashley B. said the most retarded thing on earth, you'd think it was cute."  
"Gimme a break."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It seemed like the vacation had just started, and it was already time to go home. Tom had managed to deliver and fix up the van for them. Patty had left already, but not without leaving a tearful good-bye to Bob and Ashley A. Now, the gang was all sitting in the van at the gas station waiting for Bob to hurry up and pay for the gas.  
Bob was about to walk back outside when he spotted a mini-toy machine. He got an idea. Putting in a quarter, he turned the little dial and out popped a small prize. Grinning, he took the small prize out of it's container right when Ashley A. walked in to see what was taking so long.  
"Bob, those guys are getting restless. What are you doing?"  
"Come here," he smiled sweetly as he put a tiny toy ring on her forefinger. "It's the best I could come up with for a promise ring. When I get paid next month, I'll buy a real one."  
Ashley looked at the fake jewel with tears forming. "I think it's perfect," she said, placing a little kiss on his mouth.  
"Hey!" Vince shouted from outside. "Hurry up! It's hot out here!"  
"My make-up's melting!" Ashley Q. complained.  
"Is griping the only thing you know how to do?" Lawson asked her.  
"SHUT UP!"  
Bob and Ashley laughed as they walked back to the van.  
"What do you think about those guys?" Bob asked her.  
"Ashley B.'s already said Vince likes her," she answered. "I couldn't get anything out of Ashley Q., but I have a feeling that her and Lawson will hook up...eventually."  
"I hope so. I get tired of their constant arguing."  
"At least, WE don't argue."  
"PICK UP THE PACE!" Vince shouted.  
They finally got in the van and headed off down the road towards home. It wasn't as exciting as the trip going to Talladega, but it was still great to be going home.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
What's gonna happen after this? COMING SOON: The Royal Wedding! All are invited!! 


End file.
